All 165kg of Jordan Mailata was reduced to tears after playing his part in Philadelphia’s emphatic win over San Francisco to book their ticket to the Super Bowl.
The 2m tall Australian offensive tackle was emotional after the comprehensive victory which continued a remarkable rise for the 25-year-old former South Sydney Rabbitohs junior.
He is in his fifth full NFL season at the Eagles and he signed a four-year extension with the franchise in 2021 which is worth up to $A118 million.
Mailata grew up playing league in the Canterbury juniors, got a chance with Souths in the under 20s in 2017 and then headed to the States in search of his NFL dream.
He tried out and was placed in the International Player Pathway, an NRL program which allows foreigners the chance to train under the guidance of expert coaching.
Jordan Mailata gets emotional after the Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in the NFC Championship game. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
After nominating for the draft, he was passed up in the first six rounds before the Eagles chose him with the 233rd pick.
Most players who get chosen in the seventh round never see a minute of game time in the NFL but Mailata found the nuances of the sport to his liking but he suffered serious injuries in his first two years.
After getting his chance to show what he could do in 2020, he was a starter by the following season and now ranks as one of the best and highest-paid offensive tackles in the NFL.
The son of Samoan immigrants, his parents Tupa’i and Maria, only recently were able to travel to the US to watch him play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Rabbitohs paid tribute to their former lower-grade forward on social media: “Congrats to Jordan Mailata and the Philadelphia Eagles on the big win! Can’t wait to watch you rip in.”
Philadelphia soared past the 49ers 31-7 in the NFC Championship game as quarterback Jalen Hurts passed for 121 yards and rushed for a touchdown.
The top-seeded Eagles advanced to their first Super Bowl in five years and fourth overall with Sunday’s home win as the 49ers’ quarterback injury curse struck twice.
Miles Sanders rushed for two touchdowns while teammate Haason Reddick delivered a huge performance for the Eagles with two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Mailata was a key member of the attacking play which led to Sanders touching down in the second quarter to break a 7-7 deadlock. He kept his opposing defender away from Sanders to allow the star running back a saloon passage to the end zone.
The Eagles will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona on February 12 after the Chiefs advanced to their third Super Bowl in four years with a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championhip decider later on Sunday.
Already without quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, second-seeded San Francisco were left without firepower after rookie Brock Purdy injured his right elbow in the first quarter after a blow from Reddick.
“My arm felt like it stretched out, just felt like really shocks all over from my elbow down to my wrist,” Purdy said. “Just pain all over.”
He later re-entered the game in the third quarter after backup Josh Johnson sustained a concussion.
Purdy was 4-of-4 passing for 23 yards but threw just two short passes after returning despite the 49ers facing a large deficit. Johnson completed 7 of 13 passes for 74 yards and Christian McCaffrey rushed for 84 yards and one score.
Hurts had a modest game by his standards after a season in which he was a finalist for MVP. He was 15-of-25 passing for his 121 yards and ran for just 39.
“We worked really hard to have this opportunity,” Hurts said. “The job ain’t done.”
San Francisco had won 12 straight games — the last seven with Purdy starting — before committing three turnovers and being outgained 269-164.PThe Eagles, who won the Super Bowl five years ago with a different coach and quarterback, will try to do it again behind the formidable duo of Hurts and coach Nick Sirianni.
“You see this city and the passion they have for this team. We’re so appreciative of these fans,” Sirianni said. “Look at this place. There’s no place like this in the NFL. It’s a hard-working city, it’s a blue-collar city. We think that’s the type of team we have.”
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